New Uses for Old Systems

At the rate that technology has been increasing, if you buy a new computer within 3 years it will be old, decrepit, and nearly obsolete. With MS and Apple coming out with new operating systems every 3-5 years this trend of your old computer becoming little more than a foot rest becomes even more apparent. However, with a little creativity and technical knowledge this doesn't have to be the case.

Welcome Open Source. Open Source is a great movement, one that may of even helped to establish and bring the internet to the glory it now basks in. This movement has created a community where some of the brightest minds have collaborated to make solutions that can then be contributed to, collaborated on, and expanded. It is a bit of a stepping stone idea if you will, and if to quote Isaac Newton its a manner of seeing further by "standing on the shoulders of giants."

Three operating systems dominate the open source landscape (and their variations), and offer new vitality to your dead and dying systems; Linux, BSD, and OpenSolaris. From these systems you can create servers (file, ftp, web) or networking devices (firewalls, proxies, Intrusion Detection System).

For someone who is interested in infosec this is particularly useful. Ever wanted to learn how to manage a firewall? How about IDS? Want to know how to setup and manage a proxy? Maybe you need a system to test vulnerabilities against? Or learn about web vulnerabilities? How about a honeypot?

So next time your family or friends are thinking of throwing out their old computer offer to adopt their neglected technology, and find it a new life and new home to help you develop your own computer knowledge, skills, and abilities.